Pastor Ed Jones
In a 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, Steve Jobs said that for 33 years he had looked in the mirror every morning and asked himself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
There is no greater clarifier in life, he told the graduates, than remembering that you will die.
Our failure to view our present lives through the lens of eternity is one of the biggest hindrances to seeing our lives in their true light. Yet Scripture states that the reality of our eternal future should determine the character of our present lives.
People who don’t know the Lord look at this life as a brief interval that begins at birth and ends at death. They see no further than their own life span. With no eternal perspective, they think, “If this life is all there is, why deny myself any pleasure or possession?”
Believers know that life is short; it’s preliminary—not the main event. And yet this brief period of time on earth will determine where we will spend eternity.
Moses asked God to help him number the days he had on earth. Take a moment to number the days you estimate you have left on earth. This can help you become more aware of the need to invest your life in efforts that will count for eternity.
Pilgrims are unattached. They are travelers, not settlers, not enamored with the things of this world. Pilgrims of faith look to the next world.
John Wesley said, “I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” God’s kingdom was the reference point for him. He lived as he did, not because he didn’t treasure things but because he treasured the right things.
We often miss something in missionary martyr Jim Elliott’s famous words, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” We focus on Elliott’s willingness to sacrifice and so we should. At the same time, however, we often overlook his motivation for gain. What separated him from many Christians was not that he didn’t want treasure, but that he wanted real treasure.
Contemplating our mortality begs the question, “What investment of eternal significance can I make today and every day?” If I may be so bold, Matthew 24:35 gives a good answer to that question, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away.”
So, the question that Steve Jobs asked still remains, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Ed Jones pastors Fellowship at the Ranch Church at Robson Ranch. This nondenominational church meets at the Robson Clubhouse on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Visit Fellowship’s website www.fellowshipattheranchchurch.com for information.